Consumer Rights When Holidays Go Wrong

It’s not uncommon for flights to be delayed, luggage lost or for holiday companies to go bust. Many of these problems should mean compensation but receiving money back can be problem in itself. Arriving abroad to find booked accommodation is not as advertised is not an uncommon problem for holiday makers. Delayed flights, lost luggage and bankrupt airlines are just a few of the problems faced by holidaymakers every year. Travel agencies and holiday companies can be surprisingly unhelpful when i

Child Maintenance and Parents' Rights: A Case Study

The Child Support Agency in the UK handles just over one million child maintenance cases per year. With the expense of raising a child increasing annually more parents than ever before are asserting their rights and pursuing non-paying parents. Childcare is the biggest financial outgoing in a family. Raising a child in the UK until the age of 21 will cost just over £200,000. Data from the Child Support Agency (CSA) shows that non residential parents assessed by the CSA pay between £21 and £33 p

Treated Like a Terrorist When Filming: A Case Study

Under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 the police now have the right to stop and search anyone within a specified area. There have been frequent reports of police abusing this new power as this case study shows. In November 2009, Italian art student Simona Bonomo, 32, was filming architecture in Paddington, London. “I had always used buildings and modern architecture as part of my art.” said Simona. At the time of her filming Simona was working on an art project on CCTV and surveillance and

Your Rights If Suspected of a Crime

There are number of rules and regulations regarding your rights if you are suspected of a crime. If the police do suspect someone they also have a number of powers and rights as set out in codes of practice. If the police suspect a person has committed an offence they do have a number of legal powers. The police and the actual rights of the suspects are set out in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. If the police have reasonable suspicion that an offence has been or may be committed they

The Right to Peaceful Protest

The right to peaceful protest is protected under the Human Rights act. Britain has a long and distinguished history of using peaceful protests to gain rights and change laws. In recent years the police have been granted additional powers regarding public protests. Protestors should be aware of the rights, restrictions and legal consequences of protesting. Peaceful protests are used around the world to take a stand on issues that the public find important. These protests range from civil rights

The Right to Freedom of Speech

The Right to Freedom of Speech The right to freedom of speech is recognised as a fundamental human right. However, this right must be used responsibly and there are certain exceptions. Freedom of speech and expression are recognised under the European Convention of Human Rights as fundamental human rights. In Britain these rights can be found as early as 1215 in the Magna Carter. Freedom of speech and expression are recognised under the European Convention of Human Rights as fundamental human ri

The Police and Your Civil Rights

Awareness is one of the best deterrents when it comes to the police and avoiding the abuse of your civil rights. Making it known to the police that you are aware of your rights should make them more cautious when it comes to your rights. The police do have the right to exercise certain powers when it comes to dealing with suspects but these powers must be exercised responsibly. On the whole the police will act responsibly but there have been many cases of the police abusing the rights of suspec

The 28 Day Pre Charge Detention Rule

The 28 day pre charge detention rule is the amount of time a person can be locked up under anti terror laws. The 28 day rule means the UK boasts the longest detention without charge period in the western world. British anti terror laws include detention of those suspected of terrorist activities for 28 days without charge. This means the police can lock up and question anyone they feel may be involved with terrorist activities for 28 days. The suspects do not need to be charged with an offence

Stop, Search and Arrest Rights

Many people are unaware of their stop, search and arrest rights. The police do have legal powers to stop, search, and arrest but only under certain conditions. However, new legislation means that these conditions have been extended and the police can stop and search without the need to give a reason under special circumstances. The police do have powers when it comes to stopping and searching the public. However, the police must have reasonable grounds for suspicion to exercise these powers. Th

Rights If Detained by the Police

The public have a number of rights if detained by the police at a police station. The rules and rights of how the police can behave are set down in codes of practice and legal action can be taken if these rights are abused. There may be a number of reasons why the police will detain a person at the police station. It could be that they have arrested a person on suspicion of committing an offence or actually caught a person committing an offence. The police may also suspect that a person has pre

Police Computer Hacking Powers and Civil Liberties

The view that Britain has become a surveillance society has been reinforced by the computer hacking powers granted to the police. The police are now able to hack into personal computers without the need for a court warrant. The UK police has now been given the power to hack into private computers without the need for permission from the courts. This new power utilises remote searching to access personal computers and obtain private information. Civil liberty groups are calling these new powers

Government Security and Privacy Issues

The right to privacy is a fundamental human right that should be respected not just by other individuals but also by governments. However, the increase in security measures implemented by the government does seem to be eroding the privacy of British citizens. Britain has one of the worst records of any western democracy when it comes to protecting the privacy rights of its citizens. According to a report by human rights group Privacy International, Britain is in the bottom five western countrie

Volunteering Through Civil Rights Groups

Volunteering through civil rights groups is one of the best ways to help support civil rights campaigns and organisations. Volunteering can include a number of different roles from administrative support to raising funds. Civil rights organisations could not exist without the support and dedication of their volunteers. Volunteering is an excellent way to become involved not only in campaigns but in the day to day running of civil rights organisations. Helping out in civil rights offices is an e

Standing Up to Hate Crimes

Standing up to hate crimes does take courage but it is the only way to achieve equality for all. Hate crimes are a very serious offence and offenders can face punishment in the criminal courts. A hate crime is defined as an offence against another person or another person’s property. The motivation behind the hate crime will be a hatred of someone on the grounds of their colour, race, ethnic origin, disability, gender, sexuality or religious beliefs. Hate crimes are a criminal offence under the

Staging a Legal Peaceful Protest

Holding a peaceful protest in the UK is a right as long as the protest follows the law. But the UK government has brought out new laws that give the police extra powers when dealing with protesters. Protesting in the UK is a deeply rooted tradition especially when it comes to protesting against government policy. Think of the suffragettes in the early 20th century fighting for the right for women to vote or the 19 year Greenham Common Women’s protest against nuclear missiles. Over the years gov

Seeking Help With UK Domestic Violence

Statistics published by the NSPCC state that domestic violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime in the UK. New government proposals have been outlined that will make it harder for women to claim legal aid to help fight their cases. But there are many organisations in the UK that victims of domestic violence can contact when trying to seeking help. The statistics on domestic violence in the UK make for shocking and surprising reading. Home Office data shows that more than one in four women

Seeking Help With Civil Rights Issues

There are a number of government agencies that can be contacted when seeking help with civil rights issues. There are also different offices and sources of help that should be contacted depending on the rights that have been infringed upon. A breach or infringement of civil rights can occur in a number of different ways. It can occur as discrimination that happens in the workplace or harassment in the form of racial insults in the street. It may simply be the case that a trader has sold faulty

Grass Roots Activism

Grassroots activism is a method of campaigning for a cause that the activist or activists feel strongly about. Grassroots activists are often at the complete opposite end of the political spectrum from those in power. But these campaigns are often surprisingly effective when it comes to making a change. At its most basic level, grassroots activism is a group of people who feel strongly enough about an issue to actively campaign to make a difference. Grassroots activism relies on the basic right

FAQ: Your Information Privacy Rights and the Internet

Banking, social networking and shopping are a just a few of the online activities performed by millions of people every day. Internet privacy rights should be a major concern for those who use computers at home and at work. Anyone who spends time on the internet should be aware of the personal information that they are disclosing. Web users who spend time on social networking sites can disclose huge amounts of private information. No one would go up to strangers and provide them with reams of p

Enforcing Your Civil and Consumer Rights

When it comes to enforcing your civil and consumer rights there are some consumer protection issues to consider. Whenever a consumer purchases goods or services they do have certain civil rights that are enforceable by law. All consumers have certain civil rights when it comes to purchasing goods and services. Consumer rights usually come under the remit of the law covered in acts such as the Sale of Goods Act 1979 and also the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982. There are a number of other
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